A video doorbell is an excellent addition to any smart home, and between the Ring and Blink Video Doorbells, Amazon has created two of the best affordable options on the market. There's a lot that goes into creating a fully-featured smart home. There are smart light bulbs, smart switches, smart security cameras, etc. Among all these things, smart video doorbells tend to be one of the more useful accessories. They allow folks to see who's at the door and remotely communicate with them — vastly improving the 'normal' doorbell experience.
When it comes to the smart home niche, Ring and Blink stand out as two of the top players in the space. Both are owned by Amazon, have a suite of smart security devices in their respective portfolios, and just so happen to have their own video doorbell offerings. In the battle between the $100 Ring Video Doorbell and $50 Blink Video Doorbell, which one is ultimately worth buying? Here's what prospective shoppers need to know.
Design-wise, the Ring and Blink doorbells each have their strengths and weaknesses. The Blink Video Doorbell is slightly slimmer and narrower than Ring's option, though the basic Black and White colors may leave some shoppers wanting more. The bulkier design of the Ring Video Doorbell isn't ideal, but from a color perspective, its Satin Nickel and Venetian Bronze styles are more eye-catching. No matter which doorbell someone chooses, both the Ring and Blink can be installed wired or wirelessly. Using a wired connection requires some DIY work to hook up either doorbell to a home's existing doorbell wiring, but the benefit is that there's constant power going to the doorbell at all times. Using a wireless setup can be more convenient, but this will require occasional battery replacement/charging (the Blink doorbell uses two AA batteries, whereas the Ring has a built-in rechargeable battery).
Ring Vs. Blink Doorbells Specs & Features
One of the most critical elements of any video doorbell is the quality of its video recording. Thankfully, this is an area where Ring and Blink both show a lot of promise. Starting with the Blink Video Doorbell, Amazon's cheaper offering delivers 1080p HD recording during the day, infrared HD after dark, and shoots all of this footage at up to 30fps. It also has a 135° horizontal field of view, an 80° vertical one, and captures still images at a 640 x 360 resolution. The Ring Video Doorbell is virtually identical to the Blink in all of these regards — save for the fact that it has a slightly wider field of view. Ring's doorbell touts a 155° horizontal view and 90° vertical one, allowing it to capture a wider shot than the Blink option.
Then there are the smart features for the doorbells. The Ring Video Doorbell is controlled via the Ring app, the Blink Video Doorbell is handled by the Blink app, and each one delivers a very similar experience. No matter which you choose, Ring and Blink's doorbells both have the following: Two-way audio, notifications when someone's at the door, activity zones to customize motion alerts, and integration with Amazon Alexa. Both doorbells also come with their own storage subscription plans to keep old photos and videos backed up in the cloud. Whether someone's subscribing to the Blink Subscription Plan or Ring Protect, both cost $3/month for one device or $10/month for an entire household.
At the end of the day, deciding which doorbell to buy comes down to each person's smart home. For someone who's already invested a lot into Ring's other products, going with the Ring Video Doorbell makes the most sense. It'll work seamlessly with those other devices, has a wider recording view, and integrates with other smart lights and locks for a more complete security system. For folks who don't really care about those things and just want a reliable smart doorbell, it's hard to ignore Blink's option. It has most of the same features, is just as easy to install, and is available for half the price. If you're not completely into Ring and want to save some cash, the Blink Video Doorbell is an excellent option.
Source: Amazon